Big Ten Championship Opening Odds and Picks for 2026: Oregon Leads Big Three

The schedule might play the biggest factor in deciding the 2026 Big Ten championship.

The three giants of the conference — Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana — have to go through each other in order to make it back to Indianapolis. Ohio State avoided both the Ducks and the Hoosiers in the regular season last year; this year, the Buckeyes travel to Indiana and welcome in Oregon.

Meanwhile, Indiana and Oregon won’t play, which might matter. If Ohio State splits with the other two, the loser will have a hard time getting to the title game. If the Buckeyes get swept, they’re almost certainly out, and if Ohio State sweeps, they might find someone completely different waiting for them.

This is a league where taking any of the favorites to win the Big Ten championship makes sense. It’s also a league where taking the right flier could be worth a gamble. If the schedule breaks in favor of the right team, anything is possible.

The Favorite: Oregon (+270, BetMGM)

Given what the Ducks have returning, Oregon might have the best team in the country. The Ducks have been excellent in Big Ten play, going 17-1 since joining the league. The one loss came to Indiana at home, and this year’s schedule gives them the daunting task of going to Columbus.

But with Dante Moore back for another year, Oregon has the ability to handle its slate. The Ducks’ defense can hang with anyone, and the offense should be far more equipped to keep up with Indiana and Ohio State this time around.

Even though the Buckeyes have the shortest odds, Oregon has the better quarterback and the more manageable schedule. That matters when picking a league champion.

The Value Play: Indiana (+290, FanDuel)

Even after a national title, Indiana can’t shake that its name is Indiana. The Hoosiers are thus undervalued for the Big Ten championship, and they might have the best schedule of any of the giants. Oregon’s not on the schedule, and Ohio State travels to Bloomington.

The Hoosiers are changing quarterbacks, but they did that last year too. Josh Hoover brings experience, and Indiana still has quality coming back from last season on the line.

Most importantly, the Hoosiers have Curt Cignetti and his 27-2 mark in crimson and cream on the sideline. To get that kind of track record at these odds represents excellent value.

A Dark Horse: Penn State (+2200, DraftKings)

This schedule was supposed to let everything fall into place for James Franklin. But he’s now coaching Virginia Tech, so Matt Campbell gets the opportunity. And in his first year in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions won’t see any of Ohio State, Oregon or Indiana.

Much will depend on whether Campbell’s transfers from Iowa State can adjust to the Big Ten. If they can handle the higher level of competition, Penn State might ride its schedule into the Big Ten championship game. These odds are certainly worth taking a chance.

A Risk to Avoid: Michigan (+1700, DraftKings)

Michigan and USC both sit on the next tier along with Penn State. But where the schedule gave to the Nittany Lions, it punished the Wolverines and the Trojans.

Both teams managed to draw all three of Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana. Michigan has it even worse, because the Maize and Blue will travel to both the Ducks and the Buckeyes.

That’s a bad combination for Kyle Whittingham’s first year in Ann Arbor. He still has to figure out which pieces go where, and that’s a tall task against this kind of schedule. For good measure, the Wolverines also play Penn State. If Michigan survives, nothing will seem overwhelming to the Wolverines. But survival is pretty unlikely.